It's a good interview. Among other topics, Phil talks about why the show remains popular, the live stand ups this season (sounds like they continue all season), the Dentists, why he didn't go back and watch Keith and Whitney on Survivor, etc.

Leafsfan:
Possible ‘Survivor’ Win: ‘What an Upset, Right?!’Former “Survivor” players have been ripping open “Amazing Race” clues for years. “Boston” Rob and Amber, Jenna and Ethan, and Keith and Whitney have all traded in their colored buffs for giant backpacks. And while their journeys were very different, they all ended with “Amazing Race” host Phil Keoghan telling them that they were the last team to arrive and that they have been eliminated.

No team had ever gone the other way until “Race” favorites Natalie and Nadiya, “The Twinnies,” signed up for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur – Blood vs. Water.”

I spoke with Keoghan on the eve of the “Survivor” finale and had a chance to get his thoughts on what could be an “Amazing Race” win if Natalie can make it to tonight’s Tribal Council and get the votes she needs…

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” and “The Amazing Race“

Gordon Holmes: The “Survivor” finale is tonight and Natalie of “Amazing Race” fame is in a decent position to win the whole thing. If she pulls it off, are you going to give Jeff Probst some grief?Phil Keoghan: (Laughs) No.Holmes: Cause I love to give Probst grief.Keoghan: I think it’s amazing. It’s the first time, if I’m not mistaken that an “Amazing Race” player has gone over to another franchise like that. Goodness knows we’ve done it a few times. She’s representing and she’s there. What an upset, right?! Nobody saw that coming.

Holmes: I was debating this with some friends; Probst gets to go to one location for 39 days while you get to go to many locations for 21 days. He gets to know one place better, while you see a wide variety of places for shorter periods of time. Who has the better gig?Keoghan: I’m sure we’d both have our arguments. I love that he owns his gig, he has a passion for “Survivor” and he’s really made that show his own. I can’t imagine that show without him. I was up for that show and now I can’t imagine having done it because I’ve been so involved in “Race.”Holmes: But is it better to see many places quickly, or to take your time and get to know one place really well?Keoghan: Well, what I like about my gig is I do get to see more and that it’s this frantic…I love the pace of the shooting. It’s without a doubt the toughest job I’ve ever done in my life as far as trying to stay on top of my game. It’s not easy. But, I feel really lucky that I’ve had this opportunity. I feel like it came in my career at the right time. There are very few gigs that would appeal to me like this. I think “Survivor” would be a fun thing to do, I was very excited about it when it was a possibility. But, ultimately it’s worked out for the best.

Grant Brandley Aviation, tourism and energy writer for the Business Herald

5:00 AM Wednesday Mar 4, 2015

The Tourism NZ cycling campaign with Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan will showcase the country as the ideal destination for a cycling holiday. The Tourism NZ cycling campaign with Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan will showcase the country as the ideal destination for a cycling holiday.

Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan is the face of a new campaign to attract United States cycle tourists to New Zealand.

Keoghan, a keen cyclist, has been hired by Tourism New Zealand to front digital and print campaigns in the US.

A Kiwi, Keoghan has just completed a 5400km ride to retrace the route of the first English-speaking team (including one Kiwi rider) in the Tour de France, soon to be released as a feature-length documentary.

The campaign was shot in December on Canterbury's Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail and the Queenstown Trail, and will showcase the country as the ideal destination for a cycling holiday.

Tourism New Zealand's director of marketing, Andrew Fraser, said that securing Keoghan as the face of the campaign, which launched in the United States today, was a real coup.

"Phil doesn't just have a large following in the States as host of The Amazing Race - he is also a passionate cyclist and proud Kiwi, and therefore the ideal person to be encouraging Americans to make New Zealand their next holiday destination."

Research showed that a large section of the US market was actively considering a cycling trip to New Zealand, Fraser said.

The cycle trail network spans the length of New Zealand and the cycle tourists often stayed late into March, aligning with the push to increase shoulder season travel and a wider regional spread of visitors, said Fraser.

The Amazing Race has been running in the US since 2001 and screens in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the US alone, it garnered 9.5 million viewers during its 2013-14 season. Keoghan has been the host and a producer of the US version of the show since its inception.

The campaign reflected Tourism New Zealand's wider strategy to actively target the international cycling sector as part of its focus on special interest activities - such as food and wine and golf - which have the potential to deliver increased value.